Stefanie Block – President
Stefanie Block Uribarri is the Communications and Publications Officer (interim) at UNESCO’s Regional Bureau of Education for Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to moving to Santiago in 2009, she was the Program Manager of International Programs and Prizes at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in New York City, where she oversaw the Cabot Prizes, the premiere international journalism award for coverage of Latin America.

Born and raised on the U.S.-Mexican border in El Paso, Texas, Stefanie has lived in Chile two years previously: first as an undergraduate exchange student, and later on a Fulbright Scholarship awarded for research on Chilean political history. Stefanie has a master’s degree in International Education from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in Latin American Studies/Plan II Liberal Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.

In her free time, Stefanie enjoys singing in musical theater and opera.

Katherine Altschwager – Vice President of Finance
Katherine Altschwager is an International Tax Consultant for Deloitte Chile, where she has worked since moving to Santiago in 2009. In this capacity, she assists foreigners on-assignment in Chile with visa and tax support.

Previously, Katherine worked in Chile as an English teacher at various institutions including the English Opens Doors Program in Antofagasta; an international private nursery school (jardin infantil) in Viña Del Mar; and Minera los Pelambres in Viña, where she taught English to business executives.

Katherine joined IPWA in June 2009 and found it to be a wonderful place to meet new people and hear interesting speakers.

Katherine enjoys travel, yoga, reading and learning new things (she is currently taking a mosaics class).

Maia Draper – Vice President of Marketing
Maia Draper is a Quality and Risk Management Associate at Ernst & Young Chile. She graduated from Stanford University in 2009 and has been living in Santiago since shortly thereafter.

Before moving to Santiago, she worked in marketing and communications for a small publishing company in California, wrote for and administered the blog at Boston Review magazine, and conducted research for the update of the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. She has also previously worked in state government in the United States.

In her free time, Maia loves to go salsa dancing, and in calmer moments can usually be found knitting or crocheting one intricate thing or another.

Christine Filshill – Vice President of Events
Christine Filshill, an internationally trained architect, has lived in Chile since 2002.

A British-Chilean-Brazilian born in Costa Rica and raised in Brazil, Christine received a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of California at Berkeley (1995) and a master’s from the Architectural Association in London, England (2001). After ten years working in various practices in Brazil, the USA and Chile, she now works freelance in the design and construction of projects ranging in scale from civil infrastructures (ports, electrical generator plants, land planning) to private homes, as well as in home and office renovations. Active in the divulgence of Chilean architecture, Christine has worked as the Central Theme Editor in the Chilean Architectural Board’s magazine and as a co-author of the award-winning book Desplegar (www.desplegar.cl).

An IPWA member since 2006, Christine previously served as the Assistant Vice President of Meetings in 2008 and the Assistant Vice President of Events in 2009. She is an active member of numerous international networking groups in Chile including the International Association of Chile, Chilespouses, English Speaking Pub Night Group, Expats in Chile and the Santiago Hash House Harriers. Her passions include photography, paper-making and dogs. Christine recently founded the First Wednesday’s Book Club and a Wine Lovers group, which meet regularly.

Julie Gibson – Vice President of Meetings
Julie Gibson is the stay-at-home mother of two beautiful daughters and a golf-a-holic husband. In her spare time (wedged between violin practice, being a room mom, play dates, and swimming lessons) Julie is full-time Green Mom. She writes the "How Green Are You?" article for I Love Chile News and gives talks on how to clean using non-toxic materials.

Before moving to Chile three years ago, Julie worked as a realtor for Windermere Real Estate and as a buyer for Bechtel National. She has been a member of IPWA since 2009.

Helen Huthnance – Vice President of Communications, Webmaster
Helen Huthnance is a freelance translator and voice actress. She grew up in Ecuador and has a BA in Classics from the University of Georgia.

Helen has lived in Santiago since early 2008. During her first year in Chile she worked as the Director of Global Services for Foro Innovación. Prior to moving to Santiago she worked for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington. She has lived and worked in multiple countries including Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, South Korea, Israel, and Tunisia. Helen has been a a member of IPWA since 2008 and served as President in 2009.

In her spare time she enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and amateur acting with Santiago Stage.

Adrien Lopez – Assistant Vice President of Meetings
Adrien Lopez currently works as the Coordinator of Corporate Social Responsibility for the Ministry of Labor in the Chilean Government.

Adrien graduated from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington in 2002 with a major in Communication Studies and a minor in Political Science and Spanish. Supported by the Rotary Foundation, Adrien received a two-year Ambassadorial Scholarship for graduate studies in Chile at Alberto Hurtado University, where she completed her master’s degree in Social Ethics and Human Development with a thesis on Corporate Social Responsibility and Labor Practices.

Upon graduating in 2005, Adrien was asked to coordinate Chilean government participation in the development of the ISO 26000 International Standard for Social Responsibility, a process involving over 400 experts in 80 countries. In this capacity she has represented the interests of governments in developing countries and, on the Chilean national level, has coordinated inter-ministerial committees for the development and implementation of public policies in social and environmental responsibility.

Adrien’s prior international experience includes working as a fourth-grade teacher in Juticalpa, Honduras (2002-2003) and studying abroad in Santander, Spain in 2000. An IPWA member for nearly four years, she has served previously as Vice President of Events and Vice President of Meetings. Adrien hosts “The A-Lo Show” on I Love Chile Radio.

Stefanie Party – Assistant Vice President of Events
Stefanie Party moved to Chile in 2009 with her husband to manage his family's farm in the Sexta Region. Currently she's working for the operation as a jack-of-all-trades doing anything from managing business decisions to baking the bread to learning about sheep genetics. The farm specializes in wool production from Merino sheep and cruelty-free lamb meat. Stefanie and her husband are working to improve the conditions of their farm and other regional farms through biodynamic, permaculture and other ecologically-responsible methods. Her professional experience is mainly in real estate management and website functionality and marketing, as she worked doing both of those things in Cleveland, Ohio, for 6 years before coming to Chile. She has also worked in small-business management and enjoys organizing, developing and marketing small businesses. Stefanie earned a B.A. in American Literature and Psychology from Baldwin-Wallace College, but considers herself a lifelong Student of Everything.

In those infrequently occurring moments of freedom, Stefanie enjoys learning to make international food with Chilean ingredients, trying to turn her brown-thumb into a green one, reading copiously and writing for her blog about the Chilean farming life.